The funniest ones in this story is judges who seem like always thinking that they are smarter than anyone else. But the audience in Megasport, with "faint applause and scarce ovation" as someone put it, knew, as well as other fans, that he skated clean because he skated safe. Having and therefore not-having elements of super difficulty must resulted in components. No need to give abnormal PCS for doubles jumps. When did we last have a GP winner in Men who didn't even bother to jump 3A, the element that has been in this field for the 4th decade? Wonderful.

I'd use the word "expertized" instead of "smarter", as it has a closer meaning to discribe the judges in this situation. Are you laughing at the judges thinking they are experts? For your information, they are. The judges are much more expertized than you and most of us are. So it has boiled down again to this: Are you arguing that the results should go with the audience preferences?! After all, this is not a popularity contest!

Frankly, I don't even know what you are arguing about Patrick? Because the audience didn't have a standing ovation, so Patrick shouldn't get this score? Because Patrick did a perfect quad combo and a quad, but failed to deliver the 3A and a couple of triples, so he shouldn't get this score? You want his PCS reduced to the point that you could accept? That might be the point that other people could not accept. It all depends on whom you are rooting for. It's great that figure skating didn't take the vote from the audiences but from the experts.

Originally Posted by Mathman

Poor Patrick. If he tries hard stuff and falls, critics holler and scream. If he scales back and stays on his feet, critics holler and scream. His next strategy will be to attack all the hard jumps, no falls, but hold back on the intricate footwork and moves in the field. (Remember, you don't have to be perfect, just better than the other guys.)

Actually, I think this will be Chan's strategy for the Olympic season. He started out dazzling us with his quick feet. Stage two, learn a quad. Current stage, push the tech to the background temporarily to work on artistry and performance. Next year he will skate a simpler program, but concentrate on delivering the full tech content without major error. We'll see how it all plays out.

Great! Math, are you implying that Patrick has been leading the way all those times and continuing to lead the way of figure skating? Geez, no wonder!

I don't know if you realize it but your continuous outrageous and verbal assaults on Patrick Chan has turned many otherwise ambivalent members who were previously indifferent re: Chan to sympathize with him. The fictional outrage really isn't working very well because people aren't stupid. Not a single soul here has contested the result but you can somehow dig the BV in an attempt to create a controversy when there is none to be found. Take my advice, just let it go, otherwise very soon, no one is going to take your posts seriously.

Well, I find the people who think Chan is the source of all skating evil and those who consider him the skating equivalent of Chuck Norris equally unappealing and unpersuasive. Which probably explain my current reaction to him: indifference.

I am not indifferent to how so many discussions end up being hyperbolic arguments about him, however. Can't people just make intentional impeding in warmup videos instead, like we had in the heyday of the Mao/Yuna bot wars?

Originally Posted by Niki2012

I also do not like Takahashi’s LP costume. One-piece does not suit him. I am afraid it is bad influence from Morozov.
I hope he changes his costume from NHK.

Bad influence is a redundant expression where Morozov is concerned. Morozov's influence is always bad ("Morozov's good influence" is either an oxymoron or a sign that the apocalypse is upon us).

They're showing the Men's free skate on TV on the East coast now. Menshov has such high first jumps. I'm not familiar with him at all.

Nobody looks very smooth yet, though, except perhaps Kozuka. Chan hasn't shown yet. Do people here on GS feel that since the CoP, the general quality of skating has gone down with everyone working so hard to maximize points? (With a few exceptions, of course.) I don't think I've ever seen such a collection of labored spins and step work in my life, men's and ladoes' alike. No wonder Kiira Korpi won. Her spins looks like actual spins, fast and centered--not as if she's afraid of tipping over because of a complete absence of centrifugal force. Or is it centripetal force in this case?

No, I don't think the quality of skating has gone down whatsoever. I think we tend to remember the best of the previous era, but lets remember, not all spinners were Lucinda Ruh and steppers like Yuka Sato.

Chan's program was miles above anyone else's at this competition. In the entire world, no one but Takahashi and maybe Hanyu, and of course Plushenko if he's healthy, can keep up with him.

In some ways there are two kinds of skating that we see. There's the main herd of regular skaters (including some hopefuls who could improve later on), which can be tough to watch because everyone's struggling to a degree. Then there's the thin layer of the best skaters, who demonstrate what it is we all love about skating. The only exception to me is ice dancing, where for many years it's been crowded near the top--though the very tippy top has just two or three couples.

And just being nit picky with Patrick -- couldn't he get better costumes? My husband said his FS costume looks like he got it at a consignment shop. Isn't he dating a fashion designer?!

I think his this LP costume is great! Much better than any of Takahashi's costumes over the years. ...Maybe I have a bad taste.

Just finished watching NBC coverage of COR. Gosh, are you sure that barbie doll wasn't copied from Kiira Korpi? She is so beautiful! And I loved her skating! Now I understood why Graci Gold was hyped. Back to the men, It didn't change my opinions on the skaters after this time watching. I'm so happy that Brezina won bronze. Menshov is 29! Impressive!

.... out of curiosity, and not to get in a fight, why did you bring up Takahashi?

Because he was the only one on top I can think of, IMO, who has never had good costumes and good hair. Maybe Brian Joubert is another one. Any other skaters didn't stand out and gave me such impression.